Record Description

The collection consists of images of Coroner's Inquest books, reports, and case files from the courthouse in Canton, Ohio. This collection is being published as images become available.

As soon as the county coroner’s office was established they began keeping records. The following types of deaths were reported to the county coroner:

Accidental deaths

Homicidal deaths

Occupational deaths

Sudden deaths (deaths of infants and young children, or deaths of individuals in any jail, confinement, or custody

Suicidal deaths

Therapeutic deaths (deaths which occurred during a medical procedure such as surgery)

Any death where there is a doubt, question, or suspicion

Deaths under any other special circumstances

The records were created as a permanent record of the details surrounding deaths within the county. The records also enabled government officials to better care for the public’s health needs and protection.

For a list of records by event and date currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content

Inquest Book

Coroner's Report

The records usually contain the following information:

Name of deceased

Date and place of death

Cause of death

Unusual details surrounding the death

Date examination was made

Sometimes, name of mortuary is given

How to Use the Record

To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:

The place where the death occurred

The name of the person at the time of death

The approximate death date

Search the Collection

To search the collection: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" category which takes you to the images

Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Keep in mind:

There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.

You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.

Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. The following suggestions may be helpful to you:

Use the death date or age to calculate an approximate birth year.

Use the birth date or age along with the residence to find the family in census records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.

There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.

Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for variant spellings of the surnames.

Known Issues with This Collection

For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to support@familysearch.org. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

Related Wiki Articles

Contributions to This Article

We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. We are looking for additional information that will help readers understand the topic and better use the available records. We also need translations for collection titles and images in articles about records written in languages other than English. For specific needs, please visit WikiProject FamilySearch Records.

Please follow these guidelines as you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation for This Collection

The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.